Let go of the traditional mentality toward marketing, Nick Brien, president and CEO at Mediabrands. It no longer works for social media. He says marketers will source creativity from the most passionate consumers who love the brand.

Of all the Facebook dimensionalizations I’ve heard lately (you know, the ones that say if Facebook was a country, it would rank as the third largest in the world, behind China and India), Nick Brien’s description during his OMMA Global keynote this morning really got my mind whirling. Brien, who is CEO of Interpublic’s Mediabrands unit, said, “Everyday, the population equivalent to Boston signs up to Facebook.” Thanks, Nick. I owe you a Sam Adams for that one.

Frances Allen, brand marketing officer at Dunkin' Donuts, may have violated one of those rules that go, Never ask a question when you don't know the answer. Talking about Dunkin's successful social media campaign wherein consumers created donuts for a contest, she asked of a crowded ballroom, "How many of you have had a Toffee for Your Coffee?" Crickets. Ever the professional, she recovered quickly, "Wow! You've really missed out. This is a tough crowd."

Nick Brien, President and CEO of IPG’s Mediabrands media unit, wants to talk less about social media, and more about social business. “I think is a much more exciting area to talk about,” he says. What’s the difference? Social media has to do with “awareness,” while “social marketing has everything to do with advocacy.” Social business, meanwhile, is about “reinvention.”

Following a question, Dunkin's Frances Allen noted that her company is fortunate in that its customers are "down to earth, hard working people" so that what they say about the brand is not easily twisted. "We can no longer think of ourselves as brand guardians," she said. "We are stewards. Nothing we can do about it. It's a liberating thing."

Nick Brien got his OMMA Global keynote off this morning with a bit of a sound effect. And I will say, it had a pronounced affect â€" on me. Made me cringe, actually. The sound, was the audio of a circa 1990s dial-up modem connecting online. (Makes my nerves jitter just to rethink about it.) “Who remembers that sound,” Brien boomed. Surprisingly, he was greeted by applause, but I suspect that has more to do with nostalgia, than a romantic recollection about modem sounds. “I for one remember that sound, fondly, how long it took, and the …

"In the end you can't control it, that's the beauty and the power of social media, means that marketers have to let go ... a little."--Dunkin' Donuts' Frances Allen As a journalist, it's interesting to hear brand chiefs recognize a lack of control over what people say about brands.

In conclusion, Dunkin’ Donuts brand chief Frances Allen said marketers like her are no longer in charge of their brands â€" their consumers are. “Customers will decide what our brand is about. And there is nothing we can do about it. And that is a very liberating thing,” she said, adding. “In the end, you can’t control it. And that’s the beauty of social media.” “And that means marketers have to let go â€" a little,” she concluded.

What’s the purpose of social networking services developed by Dunkin’ Brands? To “solve a problem that many consumers didn’t even know they had,” says its brand marketing officer, Frances Allen. One particular service lets uses design their own donuts, and send them to friends. So far, the “donut configurator” has inspired nearly 30,000 consumers to create roughly a third of a million original donuts. More to the point, Allen claims that donut sales are up “significantly” since the launch of the configurator â€" though she did not provide specifics. Going forward, “We’re taking the challenge of adding social …

Frances Allen, brand marketing officer at Dunkin’ Donuts, shared some important consumer insights with the OMMA Global crowd this morning. The insights, naturally, had to do with why people love donuts. The first she said, was “variety:” the sight of all those colorful toppings and versions of the fried dough and sugar products. “It’s the eye candy in our stores,” she confided. The second killer donut app, she said, is nostalgia. “Everyone has that one powerful donut memory â€" usually sharing with families and friends,” Allen explained. Huh? I always thought it was because they tasted good? …